erm . . . before the Europeans arrived, the natives weren't american! While I do play flute and drum as taught by my Caddoan Grannie in the native style, the hymns my group sings were composed mostly in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by Christians of European and English ancestry. But it is a living tradition, with many songs composed in the 20th and 21st centuries as well. The tradition almost died out around the mid-20th C, due to the eagerness of American congregations to "modernize" but it's enjoying a global revival. To hear samples from our recordings, go to http://www.fairfolk.org and on the right side are links to sound files. Ironicly, while the songs are all deeply Christian-themed, I am about as far unchurched as one can be! We are a folkloric rather than a religious choir, preserving and sharing a uniquely American musical form.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.--Douglas Adams

Had been looking for this for some time,one of those 'i know it was a great song,but what the .... was it called?'-things. But through a similar topic on another forum came up with the right search terms.Yeah!Sweet!

Absolutely love this,ordered me the cd pronto.

'It's just like crop circles. No matter how many aliens own up to making them, there are always a few diehards who believe that humans go out with garden rollers in the middle of the night-'

Jo of the Gates wrote:erm . . . before the Europeans arrived, the natives weren't american! While I do play flute and drum as taught by my Caddoan Grannie in the native style, the hymns my group sings were composed mostly in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries by Christians of European and English ancestry. But it is a living tradition, with many songs composed in the 20th and 21st centuries as well. The tradition almost died out around the mid-20th C, due to the eagerness of American congregations to "modernize" but it's enjoying a global revival. To hear samples from our recordings, go to http://www.fairfolk.org and on the right side are links to sound files. Ironicly, while the songs are all deeply Christian-themed, I am about as far unchurched as one can be! We are a folkloric rather than a religious choir, preserving and sharing a uniquely American musical form.

I was fascinated to learn about the 'Child Ballads' and the rediscovery of various forgotten British songs still alive in parts of America - or variants of European songs brought to the US by immigrants.

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal

Jo of the Gates wrote:erm . . . before the Europeans arrived, the natives weren't american!

Hm..., but how would I refer to the native inhabitants of a continent several thousand miles west of Europe that is nowadays called America without calling it America or constructing long sentences in which I paraphrase that I mean what is today known as America?

On with their heads! I'm the clown prince of foolsif you don't get the joke it's your lossLove and laughter you see are the new currency'cause greed's coinage is not worth a toss

Jo of the Gates wrote:erm . . . before the Europeans arrived, the natives weren't american!

Hm..., but how would I refer to the native inhabitants of a continent several thousand miles west of Europe that is nowadays called America without calling it America or constructing long sentences in which I paraphrase that I mean what is today known as America?

Tony, you said:I was fascinated to learn about the 'Child Ballads' and the rediscovery of various forgotten British songs still alive in parts of America - or variants of European songs brought to the US by immigrants.

I had forgotten about that aspect of our tradition--many of the tunes are recycled folk tunes from the British Isles, sea chanties, drinking songs, etc., and most of the lyrics are based on Bible texts. Maybe the various composers had more good memory than raw talent! I myself have "composed" a hymn or two (recycled tune and lyrics lifted from public-domain poetry - I'm following the tradition!) although I have not yet been nervy enough to offer them for my group's consideration!

There was a movie a few years ago "Songcatcher" about a 19th century musicologist from New England who traveled to Apalachia to research their song tradition, only to rediscover recognizable English and Irish ballads. Good movie - unique sound track. I don't recall if Child was mentioned in the movie. During the era when Sacred Harp/Shape Note was at its lowest ebb, there were isolated communities in the deep south of the US where the tradition remained strong.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.--Douglas Adams

ChristianBecker wrote: Hm..., but how would I refer to the native inhabitants of a continent several thousand miles west of Europe that is nowadays called America without calling it America or constructing long sentences in which I paraphrase that I mean what is today known as America?

"The Indiginous People of the North American Continent" of course -- the IPNACs! Kidding. The natives never thought of themselves as a nation or as citizens of anything. Each tribe was a nation, as in the Cherokee Nation, the Caddoan Nation (my ancestors). Before it was colonized by Europeans, the continent was populated by many small nations (with boundaries undefined and often in dispute). Many tribes have only one word for the name of their tribe and for "people". The Iroquois and a few groups that are related to them believed (are you ready for this?) the world was on the back of a TURTLE! After they encountered the Europeans, and learned there was more to the world than their land, they referred to North America as Turtle Island. "Nation", Citizen", and the names of countries are political terms deriving from Greek and Roman traditions. The "politically correct" terms like Native Americans, First Peoples, Indiginous Americans, American Aboriginals, and so on never held much weight with the natives. The ones I know personally refer to themselves by their tribal name (Comanche, Lakota, etc), or more generally, as Indians. I wonder what name they would have been given if Columbus et al had not believed they had found the east coast of India.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.--Douglas Adams

Jo of the Gates wrote:There was a movie a few years ago "Songcatcher" about a 19th century musicologist from New England who traveled to Apalachia to research their song tradition, only to rediscover recognizable English and Irish ballads. Good movie - unique sound track. I don't recall if Child was mentioned in the movie. During the era when Sacred Harp/Shape Note was at its lowest ebb, there were isolated communities in the deep south of the US where the tradition remained strong.

Songcatcher is one of Sharlene and my favourite movies. Really good soundtrack.

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal